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Motif
Explanation and Analysis—Bear and Squirrel :
Jimmy and Alison struggle to communicate with one another openly despite their occasional moments of peace and happiness. Their tendency to express affection only indirectly, through such props as their teddy bear and toy squirrel, serves as a notable motif throughout the play. Their treatment of these toys reflects the various states and stages of their marriage, through its ups and downs. When Alison decides to accompany Helena to church, which Jimmy perceives as a betrayal, the stage directions note:
She goes out, Helena following. Jimmy gets up, looks about him unbelievingly, and leans against the chest of drawers. The teddy bear is close to his face, and he picks it up gently, looks at it quickly, and throws it downstage. It hits the floor with a thud, and it makes a rattling, groaning sound – as guaranteed in the advertisement. Jimmy falls forward on to the bed, his face buried in the covers.
In his fury, he cannot bear to see the toys, which they play with when making up after fights. He takes his anger out on the teddy bear, first holding it “gently” but then, upon recalling their most recent argument, he throws it across the room. Later, in the final scene of the play, Alison and Jimmie reunite after several months of separation. At the conclusion of a tense conversation, in which Alison discloses that she has suffered a miscarriage, Jimmy comforts her by returning to their reassuring game, in which Jimmy pretends to be a bear and Alison a squirrel:
Jimmy: We’ll be together in our bear’s cave, and our squirrel’s drey, and we’ll live on honey, and nuts – lots and lots of nuts. And we’ll sing songs about ourselves – about warm trees and snug caves, and lying in the sun. And you’ll keep those big eyes on my fur, and help me keep my claws in order, because I’m a bit of a soppy, scruffy sort of a bear. And I’ll see that you keep that sleek, bushy tail glistening as it should, because you’re a very beautiful squirrel.
Hoping to soothe her in her miserable state, he describes them as living together in a warm cave, eating honey and nuts and taking care of one another. Here, as elsewhere in the play, he adopts a story-book tone when playing this game, pacifying the distraught Alison. Though their relationship is marked by miscommunication and tension, this child-like game allows them to express themselves more honestly, though in an indirect fashion.
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